


The one where they're just friends

by Aliiice



Category: Good Girls (TV)
Genre: F/M, Unresolved Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:29:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26446369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aliiice/pseuds/Aliiice
Summary: Over two years after the opening of Boland Bubbles, Beth and Rio, now friends, are working peacefully and efficiently together.There's just this fancy party they have to go to where couples drink champagne and dance together. But it shouldn't be a problem because they're just friends, right?
Relationships: Beth Boland/Rio
Comments: 18
Kudos: 171





	The one where they're just friends

It had been over two years since the opening of Boland Bubbles and things were working really well. Even though the beginning had been tough, of course. It had started with a lot of power struggles between Beth and Rio, a lot of fights, a lot of threats, until they finally learned to respect each other and found a balance in their partnership. 40/60 right now; they had regularly been rediscussing their arrangement. Beth would push for more, just like an employee would at an annual interview, and Rio would agree because they did good work together. 

Dean and she were separated now. Not yet divorced, but Dean had moved out and found an apartment fifteen minutes away from now Beth’s house. Their partnership at Boland Bubbles had actually made it clear for them that, even if things were working well for them, even if they had money, even if they got along, they just didn’t belong together anymore. At least Dean accepted that Beth felt that way. So they had agreed to keep working together during the day and go their separate ways after closing time. 

It’s made Beth’s mind feel free of some of the baggage she's always been carrying. Sure, the divorce papers and the happiness of her children were always in a corner of her mind but, being separated from Dean, she realized how much of a burden this relationship was on her mental health, no matter how well things were going.

Although, it would be a lie to say Dean was responsible for all the anxiety she’s experienced these last few years. Working for or with Rio had been quite stressful and tiring. She loved it, of course, the danger, the forbidden, the power, but it was stressful nonetheless. Especially with Rio around. She was always scared to make a mistake and of course, after he came back, she was also afraid for her life and that didn’t make the ups worth the downs. 

But it was different now. She’d said it and thought it a few times throughout their partnership but it had never really been true and Annie was always around to say _“told you so”_. But after working with him closely for over two years, things really were different between them. And she knows Annie is waiting for her cue but she wouldn’t get one this time.

They had found their respective roles in this business. Rio was still her boss and she still didn’t own Boland Bubbles but the more they worked together the more he trusted her with it. He was no longer leaving her in the dark, he told her what he was expecting from the business or what was about to come so she could handle things on her end, with Dean and all the legal parties involved. 

No more begging for money, no more pills moving without her knowledge. If he wanted to “flip his game” he would tell her, and she would adapt. And if she had an idea to make more profit, be more efficient, or what they could change to stay on the low, he would listen. Sure they’d had some disagreement but it’s also their adversity that made them great at this. Their different points of view enabled one to make the other see an issue they couldn’t have seen on their own and come up with a better strategy, reach broader objectives.

Outside of Rio's unexpected occasional visits, their partnership had fallen into a rhythm: every Friday night Rio would come in to check the numbers of the week, discuss ongoing strategy, partnerships with suppliers, clients, and, when the time came, how to flip their game. 

At first, it was threatening and frightening, Beth felt like he was keeping tabs on her to find a mistake, an opportunity to get rid of her. Then it became only quietly unpleasant when she didn't fear for her life anymore but he would still give her the silence treatment. Those nights were cold and awkward. 

After some time, one night, maybe Rio looked more relaxed than usual, or maybe Beth just felt bold, but she made the reckless move of throwing in a joke in that meeting. It took a minute for Rio to react and it had had Beth's heart racing. But when he looked up at her, a slight smile broke across his face and he actually chuckled. Then Beth chuckled back but it was more to let out the breath she'd been holding than to share this moment with him. 

From that night on, the meetings were friendlier, _he_ was friendlier. He even felt comfortable enough to start sharing his thoughts about the future of the business, his strategy. And when it became normal for Beth to hear about Rio's piece of mind she started giving hers, and he would listen to her gladly. 

The first time she'd done it he'd smirked. 

_"What?"_

_He shook his head, smiling to the ground._

_"What?" she insisted._

_"Nothin', keep going," he said looking at her, amused but serious._

The truth is he saw the potential in her, in them. He knew what she could do, he knew his business could benefit from it. And as seeing her became less and less like stabbing an open wound, her presence and her feedback became more and more appreciated, every Friday night. 

One week, a deal with an important client was finally sealed. They'd been talking about it for weeks so when it finally happened they both knew their Friday meeting would be more festive than usual. Although Beth didn't think Rio would bring bourbon, alcohol felt appropriate to celebrate. They had a few drinks and the week after Rio had suggested they go to a bar. 

_Beth was ready and waiting for him. When he arrived she handed him the papers and he looked at them for barely a second before saying:_

_"You wanna look at these over a drink?"_

_Beth was disconcerted, there was nothing to celebrate this week. Except maybe everything going well._

_"Hum, sure. You brought something?"_

_He wrinkled his nose. "Nah, let's just go. I know a place."_

So that's how this all became just routine. A business, a bar, a drink, two guns, and a few laughs. 

It wasn't lost in Beth that the reason their weekly meetings and overall partnership was going now smoothly was because of the platonic relationship they had developed. It took the edge off. 

Maybe at the beginning Beth wasn't sure what this look or that teasing was about. She wondered if what she thought was happening was happening, wondered if after everything he could still look at her that way. 

But she soon realized it was all silly of her to even think of it. Of course, he would never look at her the same, and she wouldn't look at him the way she used to either. She wouldn't want it back anyway. It was better now. 

When she'd tried to decipher her newfound relationship with Rio she figured out what was different was their balance. She felt her attraction to him was always caused by this power struggle going on between them. It made her furious, bold, crazy because of him- _for_ him and it made her belly burn with more intensity than a wildfire. 

But now that they had found balance, now that they respected each other's boundaries (most of the time, Rio still thought of her as an employee) and communicated better, the fire had died down, _probably for the both of them_ she thinks, _and_ _for the better_. 

And it wasn't just about how Beth _felt_ , it was also physically noticeable how their relationship had changed. Simply because they would never touch. They would never touch in an intimate way, of course, there was nothing intimate between them anymore, but even the simple touch of everyday life wasn’t there. No hands shaking, no pats on the back or shoulder, their fingers wouldn’t even graze when she passed him the numbers of the week.

It had become normal for them to meet with suppliers and clients so that Beth could introduce herself, and as time passed by also negotiate the terms of their deal. Even when they had made a successful deal they wouldn't shake hands. They were most likely to go get a drink, and then sometimes their drinks would touch when they cheered, but that was when they weren't just cheering in the air. 

It was like an invisible barrier had raised between them. Beth had noticed it when one night Rio had left her office at Boland Bubbles. He’d seemed like he was about to raise his hand but then he stopped himself and she felt a warm feeling start from her left shoulder down her arm. He wasn't squeezing it lightly anymore like he used to. Beth thought it was because he used to do it to intimidate her or to try to get in her pants, either way, he didn't want to do it anymore. 

So maybe that was also why things were working well now. The physical distance between them made everything simpler, clearer. There's nothing more business than two people not ever even slightly grazing each other's skin.

* * *

Most of the time now they would directly meet at the bar, either Rio was already there with their drinks, or a few times Beth would be the first there and the bartender would welcome her to their usual spot and serve her their drinks. They would only meet at Boland Bubbles when Rio needed to speak to her in a more private environment. He then arrived early, before she'd left and that usually meant something important was about to happen. But this Friday night was at first glance a usual one, at least until Beth found Rio's face in the crowd of the bar. 

Beth immediatly notices the odd energy surrounding Rio. He looks distressed and fidgety as she walks through the crowd towards him. After spending some time working closely with him she'd learned to know when something was bugging him, finally. It doesn't mean that she knew what was actually wrong, he was too secretive for that, but she recognized the warning signs in his behavior. The tension in his shoulders, in his jaw, the way he plays with his rings. 

Rio clasps his hands together tightly and Beth clears her throat before walking towards him, readjusting her shirt, hoping to look collected so that maybe this time Rio would confide in her. He only notices her when she slides in the booth next to him. 

"Everything okay?" Beth asks hesitantly. 

He gives a quick glance her way and nods but Beth is not so convinced. 

"You wanna go over the books?" 

He takes a sip of his drink and agrees. "Sure." 

So they do, but Beth can feel he's using their usual talking points to put off what he really wants to say. 

"So," Rio finally starts and Beth immediately gets serious waiting for him to deliver the bad news. 

"I have to meet with this new client next week." 

Beth frowns to his use of "I" instead of "we" because when he told her about a new client it had always been a Boland Bubbles client, and it had been long since their partnership had crossed the use of the words "we", "our", even if Beth didn't own 50% of the business yet. 

"It's an important client for me." 

Again Beth doesn't understand the single-person pronoun. 

Rio catches the confusion on her face and realizes his poor choice of words. He doesn't understand why he has so much trouble getting out such a simple thing. He just wants to tell her about a meeting where he needs her help, it's not that difficult. They've had far worse conversations before and there's not much Rio can't say to Beth, to anyone, at least business-related. 

"It's, hum, not a Boland Bubbles client." 

"Oh, okay." _Please continue_ her eyes plead, still confused. 

"Yeah, it's, hum, this fancy guy, big money, huge, I can only approach him at one of those white rich bullshit receptions." 

"Right." Beth still doesn't understand where she comes in in this story. "That's good." 

She thinks maybe that's another step of their partnership, maybe from now on he'd be sharing bits of how his world worked. She didn’t mind that, it showed growth, trust.

Rio would have loved it if Beth was catching on but she wasn’t at all and he has to put it into more words, "yeah, so, it's a whole tux and high heels thing," Beth twitches at "high heels", "if I want to blend in I have to have a plus one." 

It takes a second before Beth gets it. 

"O- Oh, and you need me- to be that person?" 

He nods, taking another sip of his drink then Beth follows him with the exact same motions.

It irritates him that he has so much trouble asking her this. It wasn't the first meeting they would be going to together. It wasn't the first time he'd have to attend this kind of lucrative shit. He would usually invite some young hot chick and hope she wouldn't understand shit about what was really going on. But since Beth was his business partner _and_ a woman, it was way easier to ask her to come with him. He wouldn't have to worry about leaving her in the dark. She already knew about his business, and she liked it. 

"So what should I wear exactly?" Beth interrupts his thoughts, wondering how high those heels have to be.

Rio looks at her and he remembers. He remembers maybe the reason why asking her this made him feel weird was because of how he'd imagined the night would go. That night, laid down in bed he'd gone mentally through the night and when Beth had appeared his brain had imagined her in a long black dress, tight around her chest, showing skin, showing cleavage, loose from her waist down to her ankles, showing laced, black stilettos when she walked, swinging her hips from left to right. She had a messy bun and a few strands of curly hair falling from each side of her bangs. He'd stopped himself dreaming when he started wondering how they would feel around his index finger.

He wasn't supposed to imagine things like this. He was surprised his brain could still picture it. After she'd shot him he wanted nothing to do with her, even more, he wanted her dead. Now their relationship had shifted from hate to platonic and Rio was sure it was working because it was like that, platonic. Sure, he liked her company, and spending his Friday nights with her wasn't dreadful anymore, maybe even pleasant. It was quite stimulating when she had a business idea she wanted to talk to him about. Because he respected her points of view now more than he did before, before he'd got into her pants, before he'd wanted her every time he saw her, so much it clouded his judgment. So why was his brain picturing things that made him- that made him _feel_ some type of way he won't name, _now_?

Rio looks up at Beth who's getting increasingly nervous and he realizes he's been thinking for too long. It had been long since they’d had any semblance of a seemingly weighted conversation and it exasperates him that they would be back here for absolutely _no_ reason. 

"Don't worry about it," he announces matter of factly. 

Beth smiles but they way her eyebrows arch reveal her uncertainty. 

"I'll have something sent to you," he clarifies. As if he won't personally pick and choose the dress, the shoes, and maybe the jewelry that goes with it. 

It shouldn't be weird, it's a special kind of event so he can't have her go with one of her mama flower blouses. But this dream has him act like never before with her.

"It's a favor," he adds shortly before laying his eyes on hers, an honest look on his face. 

Beth doesn't mind going to a meeting with Rio. She's done it before. She doesn't mind either doing a favor for him, she likes to think their friendship has reached the point of offering favors without any ulterior motive. So she would do this happily, but the way he had _struggled_ to ask her has her question it. 

He's hiding something from her and that's scary, she should be scared. But she believes in their partnership and she believes Rio believes in it too. She doesn't think he would turn on her. Not right now at least, everything is going perfectly, there is no reason for her to think otherwise. 

But mostly she's reassured by the open look on his face. She wishes people -Annie- would see him as she does. When he's like that he's trustworthy, calming, powerful. But maybe she's also glad she's the only one witnessing it right now. 

There could be a lot of things he could be hiding from her, a lot of reasons for him to act this way but Beth was too up close to the pointillist painting to grasp its full image. 

There are maybe only a few seconds that go by where Beth and Rio search each other's face with gullible intensity. To Rio, it feels like hours as he waits for her reaction, to Beth it feels like… nothing. She's the one to break it with a smile as she answers, "sure", before taking a sip of her drink. Rio does too, a bigger one. 

Since Rio seems uneased by the situation and struggles to keep up with his own subject of conversation, Beth decides to take the lead. 

"When will that be?" Her voice is warm like honey, like a friend just asking another friend a question. 

It does soothe Rio, or at least it looks like it does as suddenly they both silently notice the way his shoulders loosen. 

"Next week, Wednesday." 

She nods with a smile and he furrows his brows. 

"I mean the week after the week that's coming." 

Beth has never seen Rio being awkward. Even though this is the kind of mistake everybody does it's funnier to see _Rio_ confuse himself like that. She squints at him nodding slowly, making fun of him in a way two friends would. 

"Right, so like in two weeks?" 

He chuckles, "yeah." He waits a beat then, "a week and a half to be precise." 

He winks at her and they both laugh. The kind of laugh that’s meant to be shared just between the two parties but that actually draws attention around them. 

"Got someone to watch the kids?" Rio asks casually, taking a sip from his drink.

Beth had been so absorbed by the nice turn out of the conversation she'd forgotten about her own kids.

Rio never would have asked this sort of thing before, because he always wanted to make a point that she was a drug dealer and her kids couldn't come in the way of her work. And if had she would have taken it like a test, which is not what _this_ was. He's genuinely asking. They are past passive-aggressive lessons and judgments. They do _good_ work together, none of them needs to worry about or bother the other with control-freak tendencies. 

"I can manage," she answers simply.

Because she can and she will. She doesn't quite know how yet but between Dean and Annie and Ruby and -she has to admit- Dean's mom, her kids have never been a problem she couldn't handle. 

"Cool," he pouts.

Then he raises his drink, silently offering to toast, and they do, in the air, smiling and only quitting each other's gaze to take a sip. 

* * *

The next Friday everything goes smoothly, as it has for months. Until it doesn't and a familiar tension comes back in both their spines when, suddenly changing the subject, Rio asks: "Dress fit?" 

The tension coming off from Rio is the same as the week before and Beth feels an awkwardness she doesn't realize is the exact same Rio's feeling. 

"Yes." She swallows a lump, "perfectly." 

_When she received the dress it'd come in an expensive-looking white rectangular box with a black bow laced around it. She tried it on and- it fit perfectly. When she slid it on she hadn't thought of it but then when it was completely on she realized not only was it her exact size but when she looked at herself in the mirror she gasped at how beautiful she was. She didn't think she'd ever worn a dress that fit her body and curves so superbly. It made her feel sexy yet so elegant._

_She might have stared at herself a bit too long before thinking about Rio picking out this dress for her, before thinking about how he could know what could fit her so well. It made her blush and look away from the mirror. Then she tried on the shoes he'd picked for her- for her outfit, and once again it wasn't something she'd ever worn or even thought of wearing but they were stunning._

_Seeing how luxurious she already looked she was scared to open the jewelry box that came with it all. She thought she saw the reflection of the light hitting the jewelry on the inside of the box before she even saw the jewelry. It was a necklace, and earrings, something so much more beautiful and expensive she'd ever seen she didn't want to touch it. She thought maybe they were diamonds? Then she recalled that one single diamond necklace she wanted for her 10th anniversary with Dean, it was already a lot of money. But this necklace and those earrings had several diamonds and they were oh so much bigger. She closed the box before her brain could add up the numbers._

_Before undressing she took a last look at herself in the mirror. She hadn't seen the dress on her with the heels and the heels made it look so much worse. Her legs looked devastatingly long and her hips- she smoothed her hands on her stomach and hips, liking what she was seeing. Then she sank her fingers in her hair, trying to see how she could arrange it. Maybe she could do an updo. She had one hand holding her hair up and with the other she took one finger and loosened two strays of hair on each side of her bangs._

_For the first time since forever, she felt good with her reflection. Part of it had to do with the fact that the dress was magnificent, that it fit like few of her clothes ever had and another part was the small unconscious voice in her head screaming to her conscious brain that if someone -Rio- had picked this outfit for her it meant they saw she had the potential of looking like this, maybe that was even how they just saw her._

Beth comes back to the conversation, trying to distract herself from her thoughts, oblivious to the fact _this conversation_ is the reason Rio's shoulders are getting broader and broader with tension, to the point you can barely see his neck anymore.

"It looks… expensive." 

The comment helps him loosen a bit as his face breaks into a light smile and he offers simply: "expensive party." 

Beth blushes at the reminder, she doesn't know if she'll be at ease in that kind of environment. 

"So, I'll pick you up at 8?" he says, not really asking, before she has a chance to back out. 

She nods once, too harshly. 

"Should- should I eat before?" She swallows a lump, obviously scared she's going to ask something she shouldn't. She has no idea how that night will go, how she should behave and it's already starting to stress her out.

Rio huffs a laugh at how cute it is how she tries to hide her nervousness over that night, he knows her too well not to notice. But he also knows everything will be fine, she'll be just fine, and she won't be alone, he'll be there with her. 

"No, don't worry 'bout that. There'll be everythin' you need." 

She's visibly relieved. 

"'nless you don't like shrimps. Then we might have a problem," he teases. 

If there wasn't this barrier between them she probably would've shoved him, instead she just rolls her eyes and laughs. 

* * *

On Friday night, at 8 p.m. sharp, Rio arrives at Beth's house. And for the first time, he lifts his hand and rings her doorbell. It takes only a few seconds for Beth to answer, a bit too quickly to hide the fact she'd been waiting anxiously behind the door. 

The fact is, Beth doesn't really know what to expect of this night. When she looked at herself in the mirror she almost didn't recognize herself. She thought she looked good, really good, but also so much fancier than she'd ever looked it had to mean the party they were going to was something way out of her league. 

She took a breath, opened the door, and instantly relaxed at the sight of Rio. It is him she was waiting for but somehow she still found herself relieved when she saw him, she always forgets what a calming presence he is. It's not so intimidating spending the night with all those rich strangers anymore because Rio is there with her. 

Rio looks her up and down briefly and Beth wonders if she looks like what he expected, or hoped for, for this special night. She fiddles with the fabric of her dress at her thighs. 

"How do I look?" 

Rio exhales and Beth misinterprets it for annoyance but then he gives her a reassuring smile. 

"Perfect," he assures her. "The dress… looks perfect."

Beth thinks either the hesitance means he's lying, or he's just as stressed out about this night as she is. Anyway, the open smile he's giving her makes her forget about her insecurities. 

Rio was in fact under a little bit of stress at the moment, but not because of the night, not because of the dress. Or maybe a little bit because of the dress, but not because it didn't fit her or it wasn't appropriate for the event. The problem was it fit her flawlessly. She looked dazzling. More beautiful than he'd ever seen her. He hadn't even noticed the bright expensive jewelry at her neck and ears when she opened the door, too lost in the curves of her body, in the blue of her eyes, and it was bad, really bad.

Curiously enough, the first thing he'd noticed was her waist, the way the black velvet dress hugged the curve of her wide hips. He'd immediately wanted to place his hands on each side, maybe press his fingers into her flesh, remember how it feels. He stopped looking when he felt tingles in the tips of his fingers. 

Only when he looked up he saw her bare shoulders, the freckles mapping her delicate skin, the top of her breasts- He'd chosen a shoulders-off dress. It shouldn’t have taken him aback like this. He'd checked her out enough times to know her chest, to recognize its rise and fall with each breath. And he also knew her breasts, he'd seen them, touched them. But maybe that was the problem, he knew exactly what was hiding under the fabric, he knew what they felt like under his palms, against his chest, under his lips… He quickly stops lingering and gestures her to the car. 

If it were anybody else, he would have taken her arm, helped her to the car but right now was not the moment to make their first physical contact in two years. He's not aware of the time span, he just feels his skin overheat every time he inches closer to her. It's instinct, no one would get closer to lava if they felt its temperature, would they? 

“Nervous?” he asks her, seeing the way she was fidgeting in her seat, clutching at her dress, trying to find a position that would never be comfortable enough.

Realizing what she’d been doing Beth relaxes to his soothing voice. “Yeah, a bit,” she answers, glad that she doesn’t have to hide the way she feels anymore. 

If it had been two years ago she probably would have fronted about it, told him she was perfectly fine when she was clearly not and it probably would have looked ridiculous. Fortunately for Beth, that’s not who they were anymore and she can use the reassurance of a friend in a stressful situation.

“Don’t worry ‘bout it, you’ll be fine. Lemme tell you how this type ‘a shit usually goes, it’s not that impressive-” and he does, and it sounds like it’s not, so maybe Beth sits back more comfortably in her seat now.

Rio is glad she does, there’s something about making a friend feel better that’s also beneficial for yourself. He’s only glad for a second though because the second she loosens her hands on her dress, the fabric falls, and it reveals a high cut and the left side Rio hadn’t noticed when he bought the dress. Or maybe he did, but he didn’t think back then that it would be an issue. Now, _he_ finds himself fidgeting and having to force himself to look away and keep his eyes focused on the road. It wasn’t that long of a drive but it was about to feel twice as long.

Beth’s attention is caught by Rio’s sudden movement of unease. She’d been so wrapped up in her own insecurities she hadn’t taken a look at him, or not a good one at least. She hadn’t noticed how he looked, how _good_ he looked. She’d never seen him in a tuxedo, all black and sharp edges. He looked slim but strong, he looked powerful like this. 

She looks at him, from his black pants, his black leather belt, his black jacket to his black shirt underneath it. She fixates his chest, rising then falling and she starts feeling his skin on her fingers as if the fabric had blended with her senses. 

Her eyes follow the path her fingers would have taken over his skin: a finger to his sternum, then splaying her palm on the left side of his chest where she could feel his heartbeat, then slowly rising to his throat- only when she gets there the tattoo isn't visible. He was wearing a bow tie that was hiding almost the entirety of it, you could only guess it was there by the top of the wings on the side of his neck. She likes his tattoo, she never thought about it but she likes to see it. Once upon a time she liked touching it, or the idea of it and right now she feels disappointed. 

She sighs a bit too loud and it pulls her out of her reverie. She visibly sits back when she realizes what she’d been doing, imagining. She spends the rest of the trip staring ahead, asking herself how she could have had these thoughts, how her brain could have betrayed her and the relationship they'd built after all this time. She can't find a suitable answer. 

There is no more time for awkwardness as Rio drives through the mansion’s gates. There is a big fountain at the end of the path and a few stone statues along the way but what catches Beth’s attention is the clean grass. _How can they get such green clean grass? How often do they have to water it? mow it?_ she wonders. She has to look up when Rio suddenly stops the car in front of the very large stairs that lead to the main entrance.

Rio gets out of the car, rounds it, and gives the key to a man in a suit waiting at the end of the stairs. Then he turns around, opens the door for Beth and slouches.

“Ready?” he smiles at her.

She nods nervously but still manages to give him a smile as well. She gets out of the car and the acting game starts now for both of them. Mimicking everybody who gets inside Rio goes against all of his instincts and holds his elbow out for Beth to take.

“Take my arm,” he instructs, already feeling the hair on his arm straightening and the blood rushing where her fingers would lay.

Beth looks at his elbow, then at him, then at his elbow again. She too knows at this moment she shouldn’t touch him, with what she just imagined in the car, there is something dangerous about it, she can feel it in the odd ache in her guts. 

She slowly brings her hand to his arm and places her fingers gently on the inside of his elbow, careful not to grip him. But even with fabric between her touch and his skin, instant tingles run from Rio’s elbow to his shoulder and fingertips.

They enter and the place is brimming with people. Some people on the left sitting at tables, some people on the right standing next to standing tables, some people in the back standing, or sitting at the bar, there also seems to be other rooms around this one, with other people inside, and a _lot_ of people in the middle. All of them, drinking, chatting, in an unintelligible brouhaha over the band’s music.

Beth turns to Rio who’d been staring at her with amusement. These nights were usually pretty boring for Rio, except for the fact he had important business, there was nothing for him here. But tonight might turn out fun with Beth, showing her around, seeing her all unsure and amazed by the diamond chandeliers she was just about to notice. 

“Let’s get a drink, yeah?” He jerks his head towards the back of the room, where the bar is.

Beth unintentionally grips his arm tighter. “Yes, let’s do that,” she answers, determined.

They get a few drinks from the bar and Beth finally starts to relax. Rio throws in a few jokes to help her loosen up and explains, once again, how the night will go. "I just need to make this deal then we can go," he keeps saying, which was a relief to Beth in the beginning, but the more time she spends in this room, with Rio, the more she actually wishes to stay a little longer.She wants to enjoy the night out, the luxury, the drinks, the good company of a not so old friend.

When she peeks at the people starting to dance in the middle of the room she even wishes to dance with them, the band plays mostly couples dances but she doesn't mind, she'll dance with somebody. Probably not with Rio, she doesn't think he's the kind of person to dance, or at least not here, not like that, not with her. 

Rio is well aware the alcohol helps him as well. It helps him relax, sure, but mostly it helps him not stare at Beth and let his mind drift to the vision of pink on her cheeks. Fortunately for him, his time has come as the man he’d come here for appears in the crowd.

Rio claps in hands and exclaims, "Showtime!"

Beth almost chokes on her drink, "what, now?" 

"Yeah, that's my guy over there." He jerks his head to the side and Beth follows the movement to spot the mature white, rich, man. 

She sets her drink on the bar awkwardly then drops her arms to her sides, unsure what to do with them anymore. Rio smirks. 

"Don't worry it'll just take a minute. We'll introduce ourselves then you can go back to your drink," he teases. 

She squints at him, acting in false annoyance. "Let's do this already." 

Rio holds out his elbow again. "Right," Beth whispers to herself, before placing her hand on the exact same spot she did some time before. It feels more familiar now, yet that sensation in her belly is still there. It makes her feel too hot too fast, and she has to clear her throat to conceal the discomfort. 

Rio thinks she's getting a little bit nervous because of the encounter, although _she_ shouldn't. If anyone had to be nervous it would be him, not that he is, or ever would be. It's not his first business meeting, not his last. Yet, he clears his throat too. But it has nothing to do with the man, and much more to do with the fact his skin seems to have actually burnt to her first touch and her placing her fingers in the exact same spot feels like pouring hot water on an open wound. A wound that would be spreading, spreading fast, to his stomach, to his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. 

They approach the man whose company leaves him when he politely wishes them a “lovely night” at the sight of Rio. He too has a date and Beth wonders if she knows what the man she’s with does for a living, like her, or if she’s clueless like she used to be. The man presents himself to Beth and his date to Rio, and Rio does the same. Then he raises his palm inviting Beth to place her hand in his, probably to kiss the back of it, and Beth wasn’t prepared for that. It makes her realize her palms are sweaty, so she decides to use the hand placed on Rio’s arm, that way she can discreetly wipe her palm against him. Rio wishes she hadn’t because it sends electricity to his spine.

Once introductions are over, the man’s date suggests Beth and she gets a drink and to leave the men to “it”. Beth looks at Rio who gives her a nod in approval. _It’ll just take a minute_ , she remembers him saying, and she trusts it will. She knows Rio is a good negotiator, and anyway having a conversation with a total stranger doesn’t bother her, she’s kind of an expert in that field. Who knows, maybe she can even get some information on the man. Even if this deal is not hers, and she has now plenty for herself with her side of the business, she can’t help the curiosity picking her. She winks back at Rio before following the woman to the bar.

Rio follows the man to what looks like a reserved booth and can’t help watching Beth settle in at the bar before any serious conversation starts. She climbs up on a bar stool and Rio wants to punch himself again for not noticing the high cut when he bought the dress. Because she has this mole on the inside of her thigh. And the problem is he’d forgotten about this mole to this day. But now he was remembering it. He was not only remembering it with his eyes -he could barely remember seeing it- but he remembers the smell of her soap when he’d nuzzled his face there, he remembers the heat of her skin when he’d grazed his mouth over it, remembers the smoothness of her flesh under his tongue when he’d tasted her there. He’s almost caught staring when he decides to ignore her for the rest of this meeting. He has to be focused.

Some time passes by where Rio forgets about Beth or who she’s with and he can properly negotiate the terms of his new deal. He doesn’t know how much time he speaks with the man but it mustn’t be long, Rio doesn’t like to waste time. 

He walks back to a smiling Beth, like someone had just told her a joke, or maybe like she was remembering one because she was sitting alone at the bar. He knew she’d be able to entertain herself though. That’s what he likes about her, she’s able to adapt, blend in, and he’s learned it can be very useful to have her around him. But he was still curious what could have her cheeks pinken this way.

He slides next to her and her arm’s hair rises although she doesn’t seem to notice him until he speaks to her.

“Havin’ fun?” he asks, curious.

Her face falls a little bit but then quickly warms with a familiar teasing look.

“Made the deal already?”

Rio grins.

“Like I been doin' this for years.”

Beth doesn’t know how long he’s actually been doing this but she knows if he’s been around this long it means he’s good. Actually she _knows_ he’s good, she never doubted he’d make the deal, but maybe she didn’t think it would be that easy. Well, she doesn’t really know the details but he _makes_ it look easy.

Rio looks looser than when they arrived, frankly so does Beth, and he doesn’t want to leave so early anymore. Maybe it’s because he’s just made the deal and it takes some of the edge off, maybe it’s because of the alcohol they’ve both been drinking all night or maybe it’s just because they are friends and it’s easy to ask a friend out to dance. But Rio hands out his hand in front of Beth and tilts his head towards the middle of the room.

“Wanna hit it?”

Beth glances at the dancefloor, then at Rio, and swallows a lump. She’s wanted to dance all night, she just never thought Rio would suggest they do, even less together. Rio looks at her with such openness and easiness that Beth thinks, after all, if they’re just friends, it should be that easy. It _is_ that easy. So she gives him a smile and places her hand in his.

It is at that same second they both realize it’s the biggest mistake they could have ever made, but it’s too late to go back now. How long had it been since his skin had touched hers? They can barely remember. But what they feel right now they can’t ignore. The electricity that runs from her fingers to his palm, that spreads to their spines and chests and quickly turns into a heat that pools low in their stomachs. It’s horrendous, it’s atrocious, the way it’s so invigorating, so life-giving.

He walks her slowly to the center of the room, wishing he could let go of her hand before she realizes it's sweating. The thing is she won't realize as her hand is just as clammy. 

Her heart is pounding in her ears and she barely registers when he stops walking and almost bumps into him. Letting go of her hand he turns around but doesn't look at her. He keeps looking around like she's not even here. 

It's just that when he placed his final step he realized how slow the music actually was. How they would have to dance to this kind of music. How he would have to hold her. So he was trying to act like it didn't affect him, like she could be anyone else he was dancing with. But it had the effect of making this much more real and it made Beth feel nervous, wondering why he wasn't looking at her, wondering if maybe he regretted asking her to dance. She looks down to avoid having to look at him forcing himself to stay with her, telling her they should just go. 

But Rio really wants this, it's one of those moments where you think "fuck this". He wants to do it. And despite all the reasons he shouldn't, the desire to do it, burning inside of him, no matter the reasons behind it, is stronger. So he opens his palm and waits for Beth to catch on and, if she still wants to, place her hand again where it was just a minute ago. 

Beth catches the movement and stares at his hand for a second. She's still not sure if he really wants it or if he's forcing himself. She dares to look up, just to know. Maybe she can tell him they don't have to, because they don't have to… Only when she looks up, she actually finds a determined face, bold and determined. 

There is a silence between them as Beth tries to understand what's happening. She becomes aware of the slow music and she wonders if it's a good idea to put her hand in his. She's nervous but he looks so decided that she's reassured maybe it doesn't have to _mean_ anything and they can dance to slow music. Like friends would. 

Carefully, she places her hand in his, squeezing it so lightly it's only noticeable because of the electric current it sends to Rio's nervous system. It gives him permission, and enough courage to place his other hand on her waist. 

It's so weird having him place his hands on her like this. Prudently, like they've never touched before, or maybe so prudently because they _have_ touched before and it still feels so intimate and sacred. But his hand is warm and reassuring like a Christmas morning, it settles Beth in a confidence she didn't know she could ever have mere seconds ago. It's with this confidence that she glides her hand from his chest to his shoulder. 

Their positioning may distract them for a moment but their hearts are still beating pretty fast. And it's still awkward being here, in this moment, after everything that happened between them. It still feels heavy in their chest. 

Rio wonders if the desire to be here is enough to forget about the rest of their history, the rest of the world. He swallows thickly before looking down on her and it sobers him. He hadn't noticed the way she'd let one strand of hair hanging from her updo, almost like in his dream, only better. It'd been long since he'd been this close to her face, he'd almost forgotten how beautiful she was. 

It sets him in a calm confidence, he lets himself look at her. He takes a look at the thin black liner on her eyelids. He liked that. He'd seen it on other women but Beth's eyes were so big and so blue and her skin was so white the liner made a contrast he'd never seen. To be fair he'd never seen anyone with eyes like hers, they were so clear, yet so powerful, so consuming. 

Beth searches his face looking for clues about what he's feeling. When her eyes meet his, they are so truthful her bottom lip makes the mistake of dropping in surprise which draws Rio's attention to it. 

For the first time in so much time he can't remember it, Rio allows himself to look at her lips, and the bright but deep red lipstick coloring them. He'd seen red lipstick on white skins before, but it was different on her. He'd seen full lips before, but hers were different. He doesn't know why, doesn't want to know why, but they were different. Maybe because he could remember how they felt against his own, against his skin. But then again, he'd kissed other women before, and their lips never had him forget about the world around him like hers were right now. 

They're barely moving in this moment and Beth finds herself actually grateful for the slow music. It gives her time to adjust to her hand purposefully in his, to his fingers splaying on her waist, to her own hand on his shoulder. She doesn't want to lose herself in this moment, in him, but it's so easy to let his proximity calm her, to wrap herself in his smell. She can't help the way the hand hanging from his shoulders slides down just that little bit to be closer to his chest, to his heart. That way she can feel him breathe, can feel his heart beating. Slowly, she becomes one with him, her lungs breathing the same air, her heart beating the same pace, her feet moving the same way. 

And as she relaxes against him, she wonders if she ever was so in sync with someone, if anyone ever made her feel so… safe. If she'd been told all this time ago that one day, she would find herself here, in this situation with Rio, she never would have believed it. 

When she looks down at her thumb, stretched out so close to his heart she remembers this almost never could have happened. She remembers how everything was so fucked up back then. How in the moment she had no choice and how later she convinced herself that she'd wanted it. But now that they were here, in this newfound relationship and here in this room, together, she finds herself wanting to hold on to him. And she knows she shouldn't feel this way, she's sure Rio would go right back to wanting to kill her if he knew, but she wants to hold him, keep him close to her. As close as possible. Even if she shouldn't. Even if it doesn't make sense. 

As the atmosphere unwinds, Beth and Rio let their touch and their movements become organic. He slides his hand to the small of her back, pulling her closer, letting her chest press into his, allowing her to feel the warmth of his body. And as he does, she slides her own hand behind his neck, grazing his skin with the tips of her fingers. 

The fluttering heat low in their belly gets warmer and warmer. Soon they let it tingle themselves in all the right places, letting it become the fuel for all their actions and thoughts. There's no ignoring it or stopping it. Both of them drowning in this feeling, forgetting there's anything but this. 

Her breath does shudder at some point but it's because she starts feeling sharp white-hot bites higher on her body. On her neck, on her collarbone, in the hole of her throat, but also lower on the top of her breast, the right one, then the left, then between. His eyes follow exactly the same path on her and she wonders if it's his gaze that causes it or if he knows something she doesn't.

It's not unpleasant, on the contrary, it makes her burn even brighter, it makes her hot, uncomfortable in her clothes like she has to get them off, like she has to press herself to something - or someone- to relieve the pressure. It feels like pinches but somehow wetter and sweater like... kisses. 

Then she understands. It's every place he's kissed her. It was over three years ago but she remembers it like it was happening, right now. Or rather she doesn't remember, didn't, her conscious mind didn't remember, but her body did. How could her body remember it so well? It's like it's imprinted in her flesh, in her throat, in her chest, in her stomach. 

She wonders if Rio was looking at her unknowingly or if he knew _exactly_ those places on her body. But of course he did. He remembers her skin under his lips more than he wants to. He remembers how her skin feels, how red it becomes when he sucks on it. When he lays his eyes on her he can almost see it again. He remembers feeling it, smelling it, kissing it. He knows her skin maybe as much as he knows his own. 

There's a moment where their eyes meet and there is no overthinking it, they're just openly staring into each other's eyes. Like they'd been doing it for years, like they would do it for some more. His mouth turns into a smile and, clocking it, so does Beth's. Rio's spreads wider and wider until he huffs a small but uncontrollable laugh. Like someone simply, stupidly, happy would. 

"What?" Beth asks, huffing the same easy laugh. 

"Nothing," he simply offers before continuing, "the music's changed, maybe we should pick up the pace." 

Beth looks around them and realizes he's right. The band is playing a lively beat and people are moving around them. She blushes, wondering how long they'd been slowly moving together, holding onto each other, and how many people noticed it. Rio had only just noticed now too, but that, she'll never know. She tries to escape her sudden embarrassment with a tease. 

"I was letting you lead, you seemed to know what you were doing. But maybe I was wrong, maybe you can't keep up." 

At that, Rio flips her in his arms, holding her with one hand at her back and another at the back of her thigh, leaving her helpless in his grip. 

"You sure?" 

Her gasp morphs into a smirk, "prove me wrong." 

His eyes scan her face and when they fall on her lips he brings her back to her feet, holding her impossibly close. They're both slightly panting when he cuts the silence with "darlin' you don't know what you're in for." 

What is this sudden roleplay they just started? Neither knows or even acknowledges because it gives them the space to dance endlessly without giving it a second thought. Moving together, against each other, smiling, laughing, and sometimes challenging the other. 

Beth twirls under Rio’s arm before he pulls her to his chest, again and again, and again. One time she’s got her back to him and her head to the side, her lips skimming his chest, another time he pulls her face to face. And every time she comes back to him it’s hot and exhilarating, and they never get enough of it. The longer he makes her twirl away from him, the sweeter it is when she twirls back to him, the further he wants to dig his fingers in her flesh, in her hips. And the longer he makes her twirl, the more she’s panting, and each time she comes back against him her breath is hotter, closer, her lips from partly open to obscenely wide. 

A few times her chest hits him where his scar is, her hand brushes over his shoulder where his other scar is but he chooses to ignore it. He wonders for a split second how the woman moving against him, making his chest warm and his head fuzzy, could be the same woman who shot him long ago. But he pushes the thought away because she’s not the same woman, and he’s not the same man, not right now, maybe not anymore. And if they are the same, there is something sacred about the moment they are sharing that he doesn’t want to break with the reality of who they are, as individuals and to each other, not yet.

They dance until their legs hurt and their heads are spinning. They stop chest to chest, panting, taking a minute to regain their breath. She has her hands against his chest, one of them tucked inside his, holding her close. They stay like that until they’re not hyperventilating anymore and they come back to their senses.

When reality strikes back it's suddenly awkward to be this close, clinging to each other, and neither knows who should pull away first.

Rio is the first to move and even if Beth knew they couldn’t stay in this position, she still feels her chest tighten when his hands leave her. And when Rio looks above her and away, she’s sure he’s not feeling the same way she is. She thinks he gets over it the minute it’s over, that he’s already thinking about what he’s going to do next. Maybe even that what he’s looking at is a woman, someone he’d be interested in.

Actually it was very much against his will that Rio pulled away. He felt just as cold and lonely but was trying to look for something to say or do that wouldn’t give it away. When he looked around he spotted the bar and thought he couldn’t go wrong when he asked, “Wanna get a drink?”

Beth turns her head to follow his eyes and then back to him but he won’t look at her. She couldn’t feel more invisible.

“Sure,” she answers weakly.

The drink doesn’t work as Rio had planned because they drink it in silence, avoiding each other’s gaze. He downs the rest of his drink, not able to stand the awkwardness anymore or at least wanting to endure it in the quiet of his car, alone with her.

“Let’s go?” he says, tilting his head towards the exit.

Beth feels another kind of discomfort creeping up her back.

“Oh, sure,” she gulps, “if we’re done… business-wise, I’m actually going to be leaving with someone else.”

Rio frowns, not understanding what she was saying and truly oblivious to the turn the night had just taken. What he hadn’t realized was that a woman like Beth Boland didn't stay unnoticed when alone at a bar while her date for the night was discussing business with some other man.

Even though the man’s date had entertained Beth for a while, she’d then found some other guests that were more interesting, and Beth had been left alone at the bar. Not for long.

A man had approached her and they’d started chitchatting innocently, at least on Beth’s part. After some laughs, he’d asked if she’d come with a date and she explained her friend was over there catching up with an old friend she couldn’t bear. She thought it was a good cover. There was no particular reason for Beth to specify that her date was just a “friend”, but still, she did. Because that’s what they were after all, so why wouldn’t she?

It had given the man the courage to ask her out after the reception and since Beth was all jittery from all the thoughts she’d been having on the way over there, and the newfound recklessness in her personality since she’d started doing crime, she’d accepted.

So now, here she was, telling Rio she was going to leave him here. She had forgotten, only 70% on purpose, she was going to have to tell him at some point. 

“I, hum, met someone, we’re going for a drink,” she explains as she points to a man waiting by the entrance.

If at this moment Rio told her not to go, to stay with him, she would definitely say yes. Because the night felt so magical. For once their relationship didn’t feel heavy, it felt organic, it felt right. But the problem is she thinks it only felt like that on her part.

It most certainly did not because right now Rio feels strangely betrayed, jealous and saddened at the same time. He felt it too, how intimately familiar it was. He let go of everything he ever felt against her and embraced everything he felt _for_ her. 

They both had a moment but they also both think they’re projecting their feelings onto the other. Which is why the night is not ending as either of them wants, but as both think the other one wants: apart.

“'kay sure,” Rio answers simply after hesitation, suddenly looking indifferent to hide his true feelings.

It’s not a really good strategy, though. An acquaintance would have been somewhat interested in knowing who Beth was leaving with, a friend would have been somewhat concerned she was leaving with a stranger. His indifference told much more than he wanted to reveal but Beth was so wrapped up in her own thoughts she never would have noticed.

They stare into each other’s gaze, waiting for the other to say something. _If there’s the tiniest chance that you felt what I felt, if there’s the tiniest chance that you want me to, please give me a reason to stay. Tell me to stay,_ she wants to say. _Don’t go. Please don’t go. Stay with me. Just for tonight. Stay,_ he keeps thinking. But his lips are sealed, and so are hers.

“Enjoy the rest of the night, then.” Rio breaks the chaos of his thoughts, and unknowingly Beth’s as well.

Beth’s eyes dart between Rio’s eyes and her mouth falls before she realizes it’s time for her to go. She nods sharply and passes Rio’s shoulders, looking at her feet.

“Hey,” he calls her, grabbing her hand. “Thank you for coming.”

Beth smiles at him. “It’s what partners do.”

And then it takes a second before Rio realizes he has to let go, of her hand, of her. Because the night is over. And so is whatever they just experienced together. 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is partly inspired by [this](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18861406) wonderful fic. There are just not enough brio dancing fics on AO3!
> 
> (Also partly inspired by Close by Ella Mai if you want to listen to some good music ;))


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